This is by far the strongest action against Israel by any European country. Foreign Minister David Miliband used unusually strong language in the parliament on Tuesday to condemn Israel’s use of British passports as “intolerable”.
More important, the foreign secretary who has been accused of being soft on Israel, asserted Britain had “compelling reasons” for believing the Israeli intelligence agency had been behind the “misuse” of the British passports. This is closest Britain, which played a critical role in the creation of Israel, has ever come to rapping the Israelis on the knuckles.
The British action of course will be seen by the UAE and rest of the Arab world as a long due step in the right direction. And if Britain has been compelled to initiate this largely symbolic action against Israel, the credit goes to Dubai Police, especially its chief Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, and the UAE authorities. By methodically putting together solid evidence and a foolproof case against the assassins, the UAE has kick-started a global hunt which is now compelling countries like Britain to act against Israel.
But expulsion of one of its diplomats is something over which Israel’s brazen leadership is hardly going to lose its sleep. Britain’s action is good but not good enough. For this is not a minor diplomatic row between two nations. It’s an international assassination and an act of cross-border terrorism carried out on the soil of a neutral, peace-loving, all-welcoming country.
Miliband confronted Israel all right in his rather nice speech in parliament but his whole emphasis was on the “misuse” of British passports and documents. This is murder we are talking about. Britain and other Western nations must not lose sight of this fundamental fact while demanding action over the issue. We hardly need point out that murder is a far more serious crime than forgery or identity theft. So why can’t Britain, which is seen along with the United States as blindly protecting and pampering Israel all these years as it persecutes Palestinians, say it as it is?
Why can’t Britain’s leaders condemn the murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud al Mabhouh in Dubai in stronger terms, especially when its own nationals have come under a cloud of suspicion? Following Mabhouh’s assassination on January 20, Britain’s own Sunday Times revealed how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally visited Mossad offices in Tel Aviv to sign the Hamas leader’s death warrant. Just as his predecessors have sanctioned the execution of numerous other Palestinian leaders.
Israel has carried out such acts of state terrorism all around the world, from New Zealand to Norway, and always got away with murder. This will stop only when the world says enough is enough. It is time for all the countries whose nationals have been involved or implicated in the Dubai assassination to initiate firm and effective action against Israel. Don’t let them get away with murder all over again.
áCourtesy Khleej Times)